1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to floor mats and, more particularly, the present invention relates to floor mats having removable and replaceable elements. Specifically, the present invention relates to a floor mat having at least one of a selectively removable strip and at least one selectively removable display section that may be used to display graphics.
2. Background Information
In the past, floor mats were made for specific purposes. Mats were made for entrance ways, commercial kitchen fatigue mats, oil resistance, snow and water removal, etc. Most of the above uses required specific mat constructions to perform whatever use was required. Sometimes it took more than one supplier to provide all of the requirements. If one mat supplier tried to cover the field, the investment in machinery, people, and skills made it very expensive to react to the demand. Warehousing alone was expensive in order to have the specific purpose product on demand.
Known floor mats, for example as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,703,059 and 4,796,399 to Kessler, et al., include a framework formed of crossing ribs attached to one another at the crossing points. The ribs are usually made of plastic and are either welded together or are integrally molded in one piece. The ribs cross at right angles, with the lower tier of ribs resting on the floor.
Mats of the type shown in Kessler U.S. Pat. No. '399 have included carpet strips held between pairs of adjacent upper ribs. The carpet strips are typically formed with a thermoplastic backing from which bundles of fibers extend. The plastic backing of the strip is adhered to the top sides of the lower ribs where it passes over them, or is attached by clips.
These mats have many advantages for use where people's shoes may be quite muddy or wet, and also provide anti-fatigue support. The areas between the carpet strips let water drain down into the space between the lower tier of ribs on the floor, keeping the carpeting relatively dry and avoiding puddling on the carpet itself. The mats are low in cost as compared to carpeting.
It would be a tremendous advantage if a mat could be provided which could be stocked in an intermediate condition and then finished when the requirements from the field were requested. But this is not possible with the previously known mats in which the carpet strips are substantially permanently fixed, i.e., are either not removable at all without destroying the mat or are removable only with considerable difficulty. This means that the carpet strips cannot be taken out easily for cleaning or replacement, and they cannot be placed in arbitrary patterns of color or type to match particular applications, and they cannot be replaced by other types of strips, e.g., abrasive strips, slit tire casing strips, hardwood flooring strips, decorative vinyl or other types of flooring strips, etc., depending on the purchaser's requirements or wishes.